Biome

Brian Woodcock Period 1 Temperate Grassland Biome: General Information: This biome is primarily found with grass and shrub vegetation, with a temperate climate that includes semi-arid to semi-humid conditions. These weather conditions and fertile soil allow for growing crops and grazing cattle. Location: Central North America, parts of Africa, Australia, and SE South America. The latitudes are around: 40-43˚ North, 33˚ South, and 30˚ South.

Climate: The average annual precipitation is around 10-35 inches, with very cold winters and very warm summers. The average temperature is around -20˚C in the winter and 30˚C in the summer. This extreme temperature range calls for certain adaptations for the flora and fauna of this biome. Ingeniera White, Argentina:

Flora: Primarily grasses, ranging in height anywhere from 2.1 meters, down to 20 cm tall. Usually the grasses die down to the roots, so that the roots and buds are protected through the cold winters. This is called a dormant season in which there is too much frost for plants to grow, during warming conditions the growing season occurs (around 100-175 days out of the year). Some trees may be found near streams, but otherwise no due to low precipitation. This area is also a popular location for growing crops due to ideal weather conditions and fertile soil.

Fauna: Primarily large grazing mammals, small burrowing mammals, and birds inhabit this biome. There are also some large roaming mammals such as the bison. An important function of the fauna in this biome is the contribution to the mineral content of soil. Many of the burrowing critters leave organic matter allowing for vegetation growth, or others such as the earthworm help to oxygenate the soil. There are also millions of bacteria that ensure that the waste matter does not pile up. These all allow for fertile soil that can be used for vegetation or crops.

Unique Features: The very fertile soil makes for ideal crop growing conditions. In the U.S. many of the temperate grasslands have been converted to agricultural fields. Also the wild grazers have been replaced by cattle. The climate conditions also include a very extreme temperature range, which moves from bone-chilling cold in the winter, to scorching heat in the summer.